ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There’s a little more bounce in Lex Jones’ step these days.

When you’ve reached the lowest of lows, getting higher isn’t that easy. But this Northeast High senior basketball player keeps trying. She doesn’t know any different.

“I don’t really know,” Lex said. “There really is no explanation.”

How do you explain four ACL injuries in four years? Gender is one answer According to the American Orthopedic Society of Sport Medicine,  women are nearly 10 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than men. Anatomy is the biggest factor.

But Lex doesn’t really care why. She’s more concerned with getting better.

Lex’s coach Will White is used to watching her from courtside. Now he watches her rehab in awe.

“To see her go through this so many times and just love the game so much to go through all of that work, I mean it really is inspiring,” White said.

Just don’t call it a comeback. Lex has been there, done that. In fact, she’s comeback from ACL injuries three times since her freshman year in high school. She’s hoping her fourth time is the charm.

“Every time that I got hurt, I’ve always thought about should I come back or not,” Lex said. “But at the end of the day, I love the game too much.”

Lex could ask why does it keep happening, but she doesn’t. Instead, she’s focused on getting herself in the best shape possible as her senior basketball season approaches.

That means rehabbing body and mind three times a week at Beast Athletics in Clearwater. A good part of her workouts includes cognitive skills to help her brain deal with pain and stress.

“Rehab’s a really hard thing cause you have to push past pain,” she said.

Pain is temporary. Besides, there’s a goal. Walking onto that basketball court and finishing her high school career. She accepts that things happen for a reason and that mindset is getting her one step closer to a return.

“Injuries are a part of the game itself,” Lex said. “When you play sports, you’re going to get hurt whether it be a sprained ankle or a broken bone. It’s just the risk you take.”

The risk is well worth the reward for Lex. And that reward is a return to the basketball court, Lex is a baller and the gym is her home. She’s on track for a very special homecoming.